India Seeking Rail Link with Iran, Turkey

Indian Railways is considering the possibility of building a transcontinental rail freight service that would connect India with Iran and Turkey, a report said.

The ambitious plan is expected to be a real boon to the Asia Pacific region’s people and business, India’s Business Today website reported.

It is expected to bring about a major boost to trade and economic development of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The international project, covering about 6,000 kilometers, aims to reduce the currently high tariff and non-tariff costs to trade between these countries.

For the start, Indian Railways will organize a meeting of South Asian railway heads involved in the project on March 15-16, the report added.

The project is apparently part of the International North-South Transport Corridor (NSTC) formalized among India, Iran and Russia in 2000 to link the Subcontinent and the Middle East to the Caucasus, Central Asia and Europe.